REMEMBERING HISTORY – A bust of the Dominican Republic’s founding father, Juan Pablo Duarte, was presented last week at Patricia McEldowney Park in West New York. It was donated by the Juan Pablo Duarte Bicentennial Project. Left to right: Commissioner FiorD’Aliza Frias, Juan Dominguez, Commissioner Rubén Vargas, and Antonio Martinez, a representative from the Dominican consulate in New York City.

Tickets still remain for The Hudson River Performing Arts Center’s (HRPAC) annual benefit concert and dinner on Saturday, May 11 at the Chart House Restaurant in Weehawken. This year the event will feature award-winning Broadway stars Marin Mazzie and Jason Danieley. They have been featured in many Broadway and off-Broadway shows including “Next to Normal,” “Passion,” “Candide,” “Spamalot,” “Kiss Me Kate,” “Man of La Mancha,” “The Full Monty,” and many more. Marin and Jason recently appeared, together with legendary performers Chita Rivera and Joel Grey, in a Live From Lincoln Center nationally televised broadcast dedicated to the music of “Kander and Ebb.”

The HRPAC is a group that presents free concerts on the Weehawken waterfront, and hopes to someday build an arts center there.

To purchase tickets and get more information, please visit www.hrpac.org or call (201) 430-6881. HRPAC’s programs are funded in part by The Hudson Reporter.

Union City Art Museum unveiling new cabaret May 17

The Union City Museum of Art presents "Cabaret at the Museum," the new monthly music/cabaret series held at the William V. Musto Cultural Center located at 420 15th St. in Union City, NJ. On Friday May 17, 2013 at 8 p.m., Susan Scherman of The Robert Lawrence Orchestra & Quartet will present featured vocalist Barbara Rosene, accompanied by Kelly Friesen on bass, and Ray Macciarola on guitar for an evening of hit vintage and big band-era tunes.

Refreshments will be served and admission is free. For more information, visit www.UnionCityMuseum.org

Hoboken Music and Arts Festival to take place Sunday

The Hoboken Music and Arts Festival will take place Sunday, May 5 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Washington Street. The festival schedule will appear in printed copies of the Hoboken Reporter, in the entertainment section.

With over 30 musical artists playing on three stages and countless artisans showcasing their work, the festival will be a bit larger than usual, stretching from Newark Street all the way up to Seventh Street. The musical selections are diverse, ranging from rockabilly folk to world music.

Some of the artists include alternative indie rocker Mike Doughty, indie rock locals Karyn Kuhl and Bern & the Brights, jazz, swing and blues rockers Swingadelic, the Tex-Mex guitarist Gene D Plumber, and alternative Cuban-American band called Del Exilio. Danny Matos y Son Candela Salsa Band will also bring a Latin vibe to the festival, while Taiko Zoku, a Japanese drum troupe, will throw visitors for a ride around the world.

While the music and fine arts are geared primarily towards adults, the festival is certainly child friendly. Children’s activities on Third Street with rides, games, creative activities, face painting, sand art, balloons, and live performances.

Fine artists will primarily be located between Second and Third streets, First and Newark streets, and Newark between Washington and Court Street. Additionally, artists from the Monroe Center will be located on Washington Street between Fifth and Sixth Street. Oil paintings, watercolors, acrylics, sculpture, mixed media by artists such as Ocean Clark, Ricardo Roig, Jason Gluskin, and Sheri Small will be on sale.

The food choices this year will be more diverse than any previous festival. Delectable choices will include sausage and peppers, cheese steak, zeppoles, fried Oreos, shrimp on a stick, crab cakes, pulled pork, and Indian and Thai specialties. Additionally, some new food items have been added this year, including southern style catfish, hush puppies, French crepes, falafel and hummus, cheese curd, and sliders.

The festival is sponsored primarily by a grant from the New Jersey Department of State, with local support from United Water, Walgreens, Capital One Bank, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and The Hudson Reporter.